


Ripple Effect: Moonlight

by Awakening5



Series: Ripple Effect [2]
Category: Spider-Man (Tom Holland Movies)
Genre: Alcohol, Comic Book Science, F/M, Friends to Crushes, Full Moon Season, Let's check in on these kids once a month, Mentions of Cancer, Underage Drinking
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-01-18
Updated: 2021-01-28
Packaged: 2021-03-16 17:00:31
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 5
Words: 13,426
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28834533
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Awakening5/pseuds/Awakening5
Summary: "MJ, are you seeing this?" Peter asks, voice quiet."Yeah," she says, sounding every bit as shocked and confused as him. "The thing I want to say sounds ridiculous."Peter looks up at the full moon. Ridiculous indeed.-Moonlight is calm and peaceful. Serene. Naturally, Peter wonders why he isn’t allowed to just be content to bask in it.
Relationships: Michelle Jones & Ned Leeds & Peter Parker, Michelle Jones & Peter Parker, Michelle Jones/Peter Parker
Series: Ripple Effect [2]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/2088084
Comments: 104
Kudos: 89





	1. Content

**Author's Note:**

> If you haven't read Part 1, you probably should. But you could also just treat this as an AU and read it on its own! You do you!
> 
> I'll probably post every two or three days. The chapters get a little bit longer than in Part 1 because I couldn't just rely on a movie's known plot to be going on in the background. And yes, as this is a continued ripple, that means that *some* version of this plot happened in Canon (in my head (for this story)), but it wasn't a significant enough series of events to make a movie about it. If you have questions, ask away, and I shall answer with whatever bullshit I come up with on the spot.
> 
> Hope you enjoy Part 2 of the Ripple Effect Series!

The light pollution of New York makes stargazing nigh impossible. But the moon is still a sight to see. Particularly on a clear, early summer night. Peter stands on top of his building, taking in the sight of the full moon casting its ethereal glow on Queens. He takes a deep breath of pure contentment, and jumps from the roof, taking care to _feel_ for any signs of observers.

The tingle he got in his nerves has done a good job of alerting him to people _for the most part_. He lands deftly on the fire escape outside his window, and climbs in to see one of the two people his sixth sense _hadn't_ alerted him to.

"Hey Ned!" Peter says.

"Hey Peter," Ned says, clacking away at his laptop at Peter's desk. "Nice save tonight."

"Thanks, man. Your quick tip got me there in time!" Peter hesitates before tapping the spider emblem on his suit, and listens for others in the apartment. He can hear voices.

"MJ cleared out when you were on your way home," Ned says, knowingly. He tosses a glance at Peter, and Peter chooses to ignore it. "She's with May getting the popcorn ready."

He drops his suit, and goes to his dresser to find some sweats to pull on.

MJ, of course, is the second person who discovered his identity through observation without Peter being warned. To be fair, her observations were plentiful, a stack of basic observations that were coincidental on their own and incriminating put together. Nothing quite so revealing as how Ned had found out. Peter’s not sure how his tingle could have prevented MJ from figuring things out.

Peter sniffs his armpit, and _woof_. Ned tosses him some body spray from his desktop, and he thanks him. He should probably shower, really. But this will hold him over for the night. He's late enough as it is. And while there is no remaining tension between him and May, it is best not to create any.

Peter suspects May would have found out his secret eventually, the same way Ned _or_ MJ had. That sixth sense just didn't seem to warn him of people who didn't need warning. And based on how May had reacted to Peter confessing he was Spider-Man, she didn't need warning.

Peter hates to imagine what would've happened if he hadn't heeded MJ's advice and told her himself, though. No doubt she would've come around eventually. But honesty was definitely the better direction to go, and he really appreciated having May in his corner, along with Ned and MJ.

"What are we watching tonight again?" Peter asks.

"It's MJ's turn. So something hilarious or depressing," Ned says. "I hope it's hilarious."

Peter snorts. "Me too. I know living in ignorance of SeaWorld's atrocities is the worse of the two, but Blackfish killed me."

Movie nights with the gang was a Friday night staple. And Peter is just a little nervous that the tradition might end with the school year. Logic tells him that nothing should change. Aside from one two-week vacation that Ned has planned, there's nothing that should alter their little group's dynamic. And Peter is very happy with the dynamic.

He walks out of his room, Ned following after him, and MJ looks up from where she's talking with May at the kitchen counter, a bowl of popcorn in front of her. She flashes him a smile, and his stomach flips.

He ignores it because he's happy with the dynamic. As it is.

"How'd it go tonight, Peter?" May asks him, and he's grateful for the distraction from MJ, who grabs the bowl and heads over to the living room couch. May stays in the kitchen, getting out a bowl for M&Ms. She smiles warmly at him.

"Really good," Peter says. "Stopped a drunk driver before he ran into a streetlight and walked a woman home after she waved me down for an escort."

May sighs in relief, and empties the bag of candy into the bowl. "Oh good."

She really doesn’t like when his stories include knives and guns—which, thankfully, are not plentiful. Still, they happen, and May had very strictly told him that if he was going to be Spider-Man, he had to be transparent. So Peter is equally as glad when he doesn’t run into guns and knives, but because he is far more afraid of May's worry than he is of the danger.

"I'll just be in my room if you need anything," she tells him, then her eyes flicker to MJ and back to Peter and she winks. "Have fun tonight, Peter."

He widens his eyes at her in annoyance. He's half-convinced any...feelings...he's been feeling lately have merely been spoken and hinted into existence by May and Ned. He's been perfectly happy with things as they are, and they have to go and make jokes about the way he looks at her too long or talks about her too much.

Of course he talks about her a lot! She's one of his best friends! And she's brilliant!

And so what if he likes to look at her? She's smart, and pretty, and engaging!

Peter sighs, grabs the M&Ms, and turns back to the living room. "Goodnight, May," he grumbles.

Ned has conveniently left the space on the couch between him and MJ. He smirks at Peter when Peter quirks an eyebrow at him. _Really_.

The news is playing while MJ fiddles with her phone, trying to make a choice on which movie to choose. Peter looks away from her face, biting her lip in that cute way she does when she's focused. He focuses instead on the news.

"...Apollo Mission was successful, with the four astronauts in perfect health upon re-entry."

Michelle hums a song to herself, still swiping through the movies available to her. Peter tries not to smile, thinking about how far she's come, opening up to him and Ned in the months since Homecoming. Just the idea of Michelle Jones humming aloud in others' company would have been comical to him when he first met her.

"...John Jonah Jameson spoke to the media on the successful visit. 'We're happy to say the mission provided us with invaluable data and lunar collections. We're thrilled at the possibilities available to us in Helium-3, and can't wait to share some of our hopes and plans with the public.'"

Peter is excited to talk to Mr. Stark about the visit to the moon. As a former leader on weapons and a current leader in clean energy, Peter is sure Stark Industries is very interested in the findings on the moon.

“Isn’t that dude that J Jonah Jameson guy’s son?” Ned asks. “I can’t believe he’s an _astronaut_.”

“Jameson’s a joke,” Michelle pipes up. “You know I don’t subscribe to everything The Avengers do, but _that_ guy’s crusade against them is purely for clicks and dollars. Good-looking son, though,” she tacks on with a glance at the astronaut speaking to the media. Peter doesn’t like that he doesn’t like her saying that.

The man _is_ handsome, of course. Dark, full hair and pleasant scruff. Sharp jawline and straight teeth. He dresses sharp, even though Peter doesn’t think the necklace he sees a bit of goes with the beige dress shirt. But he doubts MJ cares much about that, and Peter wishes he didn’t care about whether she cares or not.

"Got it!" MJ says, shaking Peter of his sinful thoughts. She holds out her phone for Peter and Ned to see, and they both let out a sigh of relief. She has chosen a comedy. _Game Night_.

She casts the movie on the TV, and the three friends settle in for the show. The movie is hilarious, and the company is perfect. They laugh together, and even rewind one particularly funny scene because Ned was laughing so loud that MJ couldn't hear the next bit. He and Ned throw M&Ms in each other's mouths while MJ rolls her eyes. She complains about her cold feet and gets a blanket that ends up across all of them, with a continuous tug of war throughout the night between Ned and MJ while Peter laughs in the middle in perfect contentment. About halfway through the movie, though, the comedy takes a backseat to plot. The laughs are fewer, and the energy abates.

The blanket and the late night seem to cast a spell on MJ, and she rubs at her eyes with sleep. She shifts to lay her head on the end of the couch with a yawn. Ned follows her lead after a yawn of his own and shifts down to rest his head on the back cushion. And true to form, he's out like a light within minutes. His mouth is open, and the slightest of snores comes out.

Peter glances over and MJ with a grin, and she tiredly smiles back at him. Her eyelids are heavy though, and she brings her legs up on his lap to get more comfortable.

And Peter can't quite believe how content he is.

He doesn't sleep like his friends. He's always been a bit of a night owl, with late Spider-Man nights throwing off his rhythm, despite May's attempts at setting a curfew. Crime waits for no Spider-Man. So he simply watches the rest of the movie alone. But he's not alone. He's with his best friends.

MJ shifts during the movie's climax, and he looks over at her to see her looking at him, wide-eyed. He's about to ask her what she was looking at, but he realizes in that moment that he's brushing the skin of her calf and ankle on his lap. How had he not known what he was doing?

"S—sorry," he whispers, and lifts his hands off of her.

"No," she says quickly. "It's...it's okay."

"Okay," Peter tries to smile at her. But he's sure his face is burning red. He's grateful the glow of the TV isn't bright enough to highlight it. He sets his hands to his side, and clenches them.

"It...felt good," she says, barely audible. He whips his head to look at her again, but she's watching the TV again.

So he tentatively puts hands back on her skin, and the pleasant thrum running up his spine explains why his subconscious had done it earlier. He watches her with his peripheral vision as he glides gentle fingers over her skin, tracing the muscle of her calf and then the feel of her ankle. Her eyes stay riveted on the screen. She's warm, and Peter could spend hours doing exactly this.

It's thrilling and unsettling, and Peter doesn't think the word "content" can coexist with the hum in his nerves.


	2. Wolf

"Are you nervous?" Mr. Stark asks him.

Peter wipes his sweaty palms on his jeans. "No," he lies. "It's just a test. No reason to be nervous."

"Hey Friday, can I get a heart rate of the kid?"

"Hey!" Peter shouts, and clutches his hands to his chest as if that would stop her.

"Peter's heart rate is at seventy-four beats per minute, up over twenty from his resting heart rate." Miserable AI.

Mr. Stark plops down in the chair next to him. "It's alright, kid. Showing off your first major project for the boss. It's alright to be nervous."

Peter grumbles. "I still don't understand why you have to be here for this. I could've shown you next week if this one is successful. Michelle was right about you."

"I want to be here this week for the full effect. This is the big one! Oh, and what did she say this time?" Mr. Stark asks, and he pulls out his phone and starts swiping at it.

"That you take a special delight in torturing me."

Mr. Stark bobs his head back and forth as if he's weighing the words. "She's not _not_ right," he says and hits a button. The wall behind them creaks, and splits, starting to move on a track, opening to the world outside. They both swivel in their chairs to watch it. Peter holds his breath. "So when do I get to meet this girlfriend of yours?"

Peter breath comes out in a sharp exhale, and he jerks his eyes from the opening wall to Mr. Stark. "My...she's not my girlfriend, Mr. Stark. We're just friends. Good friends."

"Friday?" the man asks simply, unimpressed.

"Peter's heart rate is at eighty-five, eleven beats more per minute than his previously elevated heart rate."

"I hate you," Peter says, and turns his attention back to the widening hole in the wall, and the moonlight moving towards them along the floor from the opening. Though, he has to admit, he's a _little_ less anxious about whatever happens here tonight. Besides...he's run smaller tests before, and he's run the models. He should be confident this will work.

Moonlight comes in through the retracted wall and hits the solar panel sitting angled on the table before them. Both Peter and Mr. Stark turn to the monitor. 103kW-h. Peter lets out a whoop and jumps from his chair.

Reflected sunlight from the moon. Normally a fraction of the power that direct sunlight provides. Less than one in four hundred to be a little more precise. Hardly detectable by most solar panels. But Peter had been fascinated by the potential of that reflected power, and when he'd pitched the idea to Mr. Stark months ago, the man had given him full access to his labs at Stark Tower—now getting far less use since the move upstate. And since school had ended a month earlier, Peter has spent a _lot_ more time here.

"One hundred!" Peter exclaims. It is better than he'd hoped.

Mr. Stark grins widely, a proud look in his eyes. "Incredible," he says. "Really, _really_ good job, kid."

Embarrassed by the praise, Peter scratches at the back of his neck. "I mean...it's a full moon. So obviously this is a best-case scenario. And still less than a third of what direct sunlight can give. Compared to your arc reactor, this is basically nothing, and—"

"Parker," Mr. Stark says, holding up a hand. Peter closes his mouth. "If we can make this production-friendly, we're looking at a near ten percent efficiency jump on all solar energy. My arc reactor is still too dangerous for use without massive amounts of security and protections to keep it out of the wrong hands. But this," he pauses and waves at the solar panel, and smiles. "Ten percent. That kind of efficiency jump usually takes five to ten years. Good job, kid."

"Thanks Mr. Stark," Peter lets himself say. Mr. Stark claps him on the shoulder, and huffs out a breath.

"Alright, so what's the plan then?" he asks, and turns back to the panel.

"Well, we've got the prototype for new panels right here. I imagine there are a lot of ways to make it more production friendly, and you've got teams for that?"

Mr. Stark nods. "But the product itself?" he prompts. "Do you have anything more you want to do with it?"

"Well...making new panels is nice and all. But I was wondering if I could work on a coating of sorts. A paint or spray, to apply to existing panels. That way people don't have to go buy entire new panels."

Mr. Stark smiles at him, and shakes his head.

"What?" Peter asks, self-conscious.

"Nothing. You're just...you're no capitalist." His smile broadens then. "Alright Parker. What do you need?"

Two hours later, Peter is still buzzing with energy. He has to... _tell_ someone. "Hey Karen, can you call MJ?"

"Of course, Peter. Will she mind that it's after midnight?"

He hesitates. Maybe he should just go home. It's late, and he's still thirty minutes away. Sit on top of the seven train, maybe? He's accidentally hurt himself swinging home when he was distracted in the past, and he would _definitely_ consider himself distracted right now.

But no. He needs to work off this extra energy. And this is the exact sort of thing MJ would be excited about. And Ned’s on vacation with his family. Besides, she's usually up reading this late anyway.

"Um, can you first text May that I just finished up at the Tower and I'll be home in a bit? And then call MJ?"

Karen's pleasant voice rings in affirmation through his mask. Or near the ears. Or...somewhere. He should ask Mr. Stark how the audio capabilities work with the suit. Or maybe plug into it again and look at the inner workings himself. Or—

"Hello? Peter?"

"Oh, MJ!" Peter all but shouts. He jumps from the Stark Tower and heads up Park Avenue. He'll take Ed Koch back home today. "Hey. Hi. Sorry, are you sleeping?"

"Nah," she says, but he can hear the sleep in her voice. She had been close if she wasn't already asleep. Peter would feel bad, but he so desperately wants to talk to her. "How'd it go?"

"Over a hundred, MJ!" he tells her. "I was so nervous, cuz you know how my last test was under thirty. But that was before I bombarded it with the isotope and"—he cuts himself off—"Sorry, I'm rambling."

"It's okay," MJ laughs. "I mean, don't get me wrong, you're a dork. But I'm really happy for you, Peter!"

She means it. He loves when earnest MJ comes out. She's so dry and witty, and he loves that about her, too. But when she _really_ needs you to understand something. _Really_ wants you to know how she feels about it, the sarcasm falls away. And he's left with pure honesty. And it's so obvious in her voice.

"Thanks, MJ. And afterwards, Mr. Stark and I—" he starts, and he's about to turn down Lexington when he senses something. He sticks himself on the outside of a Zara, and listens.

"Peter?" MJ asks. "Did I lose you?"

"Wha—oh, no. Sorry. I just...felt something. But I don't know from where."

"Peter Tingle?" she asks, and Peter groans.

"I can't believe that stuck. I'm going to find a way to get May ba—" But he freezes again. He still can't see or hear anything, but he knows he need to get moving again. Towards Central Park.

He zips through the buildings, pulling himself faster and faster. And as he nears the park, _that's_ when he hears the screams.

On his mask display, a notification alerts him that MJ has logged in. He gave May, Ned, and MJ access to his feed after they teamed up on him and demanded it. She is still on the phone with him, but knows at this point when Peter needs to focus.

He hits the ground at a sprint, seeing three figures in the distance. He's out of high places to swing to and from, aside from the occasional lamppost, but those are only effective for quick bursts in sporadic directions. Right now, he needs to move towards that group. One figure is on the ground, another standing in front of them. And the third...the third is a massive figure, hunched forward but still hulking over the standing figure.

"What the shit is that!" Peter shouts, urging his muscles to push harder, dig deeper. He shouts out, trying to scare the figure. It turns, wolfish features becoming more visible with each step Peter sprints closer.

And then it turns and runs away. Much faster than Peter can catch it. Much faster than a human, enhanced or otherwise. It scurries off, and disappears into a clump of trees.

When Peter finally reaches the pair of people, a man and a woman, he's relieved to find them relatively unharmed. "What...what was that?" Peter asks them, heaving to catch his breath.

The woman helps the man up from the ground. Apparently, he'd hurt his ankle. Peter sees other people gathering closer. Some of them were out of breath like Peter. But he guesses it's because they had been running away initially. The couple lean on each other in support, and the woman turns to Peter.

"Thank God you came when you did, Spider-Man."

"What _was_ that?" Peter repeats.

"A...a wolf," the man says, swallowing.

Peter's about to question him. _In Central Park?_

But the woman shakes her head. "That was no wolf."

Karen intuitively pulls up a video of the creature from his mask's recording, the cleanest image she can get from his shaky footsteps. It runs like a wolf. But it had been standing hunched on hind legs.

"MJ, are you seeing this?" Peter asks, voice quiet.

"Yeah," she says, sounding every bit as shocked and confused as him. "The thing I _want_ to say sounds ridiculous."

Peter looks up at the full moon. Ridiculous indeed.


	3. Dancing

The beast is _strong_. When it launches itself at Peter's chest, clawed paws outstretched, Peter is expecting to be able to catch it, and easily hold it back. And maybe if he'd been prepared for the strength, he'd have been able to. But as it was, the sheer force of the creature is enough to break his grasp, and the claws land home on Peter's chest.

Pain tears through Peter like the claws tear through his suit.

It's not quite like any wolf Peter has ever seen. And werewolves from fiction are so plentiful, it is possible that there's a depiction out there like this...man-wolf.

Man-Wolf. Peter likes it. Maybe when he's done bleeding he'll ask MJ what she thinks. She'll probably roll her eyes. And also tell Peter that he needs to evaluate his personal biases. The tattered pants still cover the part of the wolf that would prove if it was a man or not, after all.

The beast's tattered clothes _look_ like a guy's, though, and they suggest there was a human there before. It's a full moon again, and it's the first time Peter has seen the wolf since last month, which suggests the absurd. It can stand on its hind legs easily, but gains much more power and speed when it drops to all fours.

The one thing that seems to separate this Man-Wolf from the werewolves of fiction is the red stone partially encased in its chest, like Mr. Stark's arc reactor used to. There's a pale blue light that almost seems to emanate from it. Peter assumes it's a strange reflection of the moonlight.

Picking himself up from the ground, and jumping out of the way of another swipe of Man-Wolf's massive claws, Peter shoots a web at the gem. Maybe it is some sort of weak point? Like a boss fight in a video game?

That particular theory he will keep from MJ. A definite eye-roll, there. He'll tell Ned though. Especially if this works.

He yanks on the stone, and the creature _does_ cry out. But nothing seems to happen except Man-Wolf is now furious. He easily cuts the webbing with his claws and chases after Peter again.

Man-Wolf's propensity for Central Park is a problem. Peter doesn't have his usual advantages here. Tall buildings to use for a quick get-away or to build momentum. Barriers to leap to and reassess the situation.

It's just Spider-Man and Man-Wolf.

Peter blocks a swipe of his claw again, this time prepared for the massive force. It still hurts, but at least he didn't add a fresh gash to his torso.

Peter leaps over the wolf. He shoots webs at the usual targets. Web the paw to the ground? Man-Wolf quickly rips it apart and continues his chase. Web to the legs to trip him up? Only a momentary slowdown.

Web to the face? That one seems to work. Man-Wolf is more tentative swiping his claws at his own face. And the delay buys Peter the time to get a harsh knee to the chest of the massive creature. It yelps, and falls backwards.

Peter's senses flash, and he turns to see a group of teenagers walking _towards_ them.

Peter shouts at them to get away, but they've got their phones out, taking video. Peter positions himself between the beast and the group just as Man-Wolf collects himself and gets the webbing mostly cleared of his face.

He seems to observe the situation, and turns and flees.

Peter might give chase, but he can't keep pace with him. And he looks more like a creature off to nurse his wounds than resuming his hunt. Peter hisses as the pain in his chest flares again.

"The suit says the cut is deep," MJ says. He'd almost forgotten she was logged into his suit again. She'd insisted when he said he was going back to Central Park to watch for the creature. He'd been back several times, of course, but tonight was the night they'd been most concerned about. Peter looks up at the full moon.

"I'll be okay," Peter responds, and he tenderly fingers the wound to see how his super-healing is going. He's losing blood. "I'll probably need some stitches to make sure it heals quick, though."

"Don't swing on that," she tells him, voice laced with worry.

"I'll catch a ride on top of some trucks and trains," Peters concedes. He would probably be fine swinging...but there was no point in opening the wounds further. He starts walking towards the road.

"You can...come to my place," MJ says. "It's closer. And I've got the First Aid kit."

When she first told him that she got one, and had been practicing sutures on bananas, Peter made a terrible joke about where she expected him to get injured. She laughed, and then it was a little awkward. A lot of their interactions went that way recently, now that Peter thought about it. Tense, sometimes awkward. But in the awkward silence after the bad joke, Peter had felt...sick. Sick that she might have to help him heal one day.

"Yeah," he hesitates. Was today finally that day? "Yeah, I can do that."

"I just think...I know you don't like May seeing the worst of it." Michelle doesn't lie to Peter often, but he hears a half-truth in her words and voice.

Peter sees a passing truck, and leaps on top of it. "Sure," he says, and decides to change the subject. "So...after getting a closer look at this wolf, do you have any theories?"

They theorize. They get Ned in on the call despite the late hour, and show him the video. He gets angry at them. "You kept a _werewolf_ from me?" And they try to tell him they weren't sure last month, so why tell him when they knew he'd freak out?

And Peter shoves a little guilt away for keeping the news from Ned for a much more selfish reason. It had been his and MJ's thing. The wild theories and jokes—it was nice to have something that was just his and hers, without May or Ned getting in on it. He couldn't guess at why MJ had never told Ned.

By the time he gets to MJ's building, Ned has forgiven them and started digging into Wepwawet, the ancient wolf god of Egypt, to see if there are any mentions of red stones. Peter climbs gingerly up to Michelle's window, conveniently set near a fire escape.

She slides open her window, and climbs out, kit in hand. Her face falls when she sees him. "That looks worse in person," she says.

Peter makes to stand up. "I can just go home," he says. "May can—"

"No!" MJ cuts him off. "I can do this."

She looks resolute, and Peter wonders why it's so important to her. But he nods anyway, and settles back down. Michelle scoots closer, and pulls at the fabric of his suit, where it's been split open. "It's too dark out here. Can you climb in the window?"

In her room?

"Um. Yeah."

She leads the way and motions for him to sit on her bed after he's climbed in. He's been outside of her room a few times. Glanced inside a couple times, too. Enough to see her bookshelves and the picture of her family on her dresser. But now he can see the details of that picture. A younger MJ, maybe twelve or thirteen, smiling broadly for the camera, Dad on one shoulder, and a healthy mom on her other, and a younger brother with a silly grin on his face.

It shouldn't feel like it does. Like the air is thick with _something_. Like being invited in here means more than a need for better lighting. She's been in his room dozens of times before. With Ned, of course. But still.

He sits, and isn't sure if he should be looking at MJ or at her room. Both seem so personal. She worries her bottom lip as she sifts through the kit, pulling out gloves, alcohol pads, and...well, she ends up taking out almost everything. She turns to him and stops. "You'll have to, um..."

She motions at his suit. And, yeah. Right.

He hits the spider emblem and the suit goes slack around him. He pulls it from his chest with a hiss as some of the blood had scabbed against the fabric. Pulling it off, some of the bleeding starts up again. The suit falls from his shoulders and it pools at his waist, where he clenches it. Michelle visibly swallows and Peter feels his face heat up.

"Do you...want a pair of sweats or something?" she asks, and Peter thinks her voice sounds a little odd.

But he feels slightly uncomfortable holding the suit up over his briefs. He can't use his hands if he's worrying about it. So he nods. Michelle drops the gloves back in the kit, and moves to her dresser. Peter lets his eyes wander around her room, and can't help the smile that comes to his lips.

"Here, hopefully these fit." Michelle hands him a pair of grey sweats. He thinks they're the same ones she wore late that night months ago, after he left her at the Homecoming dance. And here she still is, after the mess he's been.

He stands, still clutching his suit to his front with one hand, and takes the sweats from her. There's a beat, and he throws Michelle a bit of a shrug.

"Oh!" she shuts her eyes tight, and turns around. "Sorry."

"It's okay," he chuckles, and carefully takes off his suit the rest of the way. He wants to make sure none of the blood-caked top hits her floor. It's mostly hardened and crusted to the suit, but still.

He tries not to think to hard about pulling on her sweats. They're a little long, and maybe snug around the thigh, but overall fit just fine. "Okay," he tells her. And she turns around. "Are you sure you want to do this?"

She bites her lip again, but nods, resolute. Peter sits back down, MJ gloves her hands, and joins him on the bed.

May had patched him up once. A knife wound in his lower back. The situation had been tense because Peter could feel May's worry radiating off of her. She only needed to say "what if this was just a little higher, Pete," _once_ , but the fear in her voice stayed with him the entire time she worked.

The scene is similarly tense with MJ. But not at all similar in the type of tension. She's so close, and even though she has gloves on her hands, Peter can feel their heat as they ghost over his chest, a sharp contrast to the alcohol pads she's using to wipe up the smeared blood.

He stares at her face, focused as she works, and his heart thumps. Each beat a reminder of the things he's been feeling lately and ignoring. She shifts, and she grabs his side to steady him, thumb on his pec. Peter can't help the hiss that escapes his lips.

She pulls back. "Did I hurt you?" she asks, eyes worried.

"No," Peter says, and his voice breaks. He clears it. "No, you're good."

But she must be aware of his reasons for stuttering. Her eyes drop, and she flushes. Peter hears that his own heart isn't the only one that has picked up speed. But she returns to cleaning him dutifully. And her hand doesn't move. Peter attempts to regulate his breathing and not stare at her face while she works.

After cleaning up, she gets the needle ready. Peter can tell she's getting _very_ nervous. "MJ, I'm fine. The bleeding has basically stoppe—"

"No." Her voice is forceful and sure. "You know as well as I do that you're going to be bleeding again the second you start moving seriously. And even _you'll_ scar if we don't close those up properly."

Peter nods, and gives her a smile. She hesitates only once more. "You'll tell me if it hurts too much? I don't have anything to numb—"

"I'll let you know," Peter says, knowing full well he will not let her know.

She pulls her desk chair over, and positions herself between Peter's legs. Perhaps a steadier seat for her, but Peter is more distracted than ever. Fortunately, the sting of the needle breaks his focus on her.

She works. He holds in his cringes and hisses of pain. And she does really, really well. He feels guilty. No sixteen year-old should have to do this. But he's grateful.

"Thanks Michelle," he whispers, as she moves to the last significant cut in need of repair.

She meets his eye and smiles. It's soft, close-lipped. But it's genuine. There's a confidence in her eyes now that hadn't been there when she'd started.

She finishes the work and instructs him to stay still while she puts everything away. He obeys. He's content to watch her, anyway. When she finally finishes and turns back around with an extended sigh, they share a look and dissolve into quiet laughter.

"Peter...oh my god, you fought a fucking _werewolf_ tonight." Peter shakes his head and continues laughing. When she walks over to him, he scoots over on her twin bed, giving her more room to sit next to him again. She sits, and they both lay back on her bed. Peter does so gingerly, taking care not to tear his recent stitches.

He's very aware that he's still shirtless. And wearing her sweats. And when he turns his head to look at her that they're only a shoulders' width apart. Her arm rests against his, and her body is warm on his exposed one. He rests his hands on his stomach to keep his fingers from brushing hers.

But despite these observations, he's comfortable. Despite the tug in his heart that urges him to _do_ or _say_ something, he likes just being here with her. Without expectation or worry. Any time he starts to entertain the idea, his stomach curdles in fear. What if it doesn't go well? Can he go back to the way things used to be? Before MJ?

No.

"I wonder what would happen if he bit me?" Peter asks to distract himself. "During the full moon, do you think I'd turn into a wolf spider?"

Michelle's groan turns into an earnest laugh, and Peter joins in. The spark in her eyes and the joy in her laugh leave him breathless.

Then they hear a cough from another room down the hall, and their laughter stops.

"Shit," Michelle whispers. "We should probably move back outside."

Peter collects his suit and follows her back out the window. "How's your mom doing?" he asks when she shuts the window after him. Michelle sits with her back to the building, Peter against the railing opposite her. She won't admit it, but Peter knows she's afraid of heights just a little, and leaning against the rickety railing isn't her first choice.

"She has her good days and her bad days," Michelle says, and smiles sadly at him. It's been a few months since treatments started, Peter knows. Their hopes of remission again are fading. Michelle has always been so strong. He's grown to attribute the shell she built up last year in large part to dealing with her mom's cancer at home. She still doesn't talk a lot about the toll it takes on her family, but she's opened up to Peter some. He wishes she would more. "Now isn't so great though."

"I'm sorry," Peter says, and leans forward to catch her hand. He squeezes it, and she squeezes his back in turn.

"Thanks, Peter. She says hi, by the way. Wishes we'd spend more of our Friday nights here. She worries about May having to entertain all of us."

Peter nods. "Well, you know May loves it. But...I'd love to come over more, MJ. You know that, right?"

She squeezes his hand again. "Yeah, I know. Thanks. I just...I don't know. It's a lot, sometimes."

"Yeah. That's okay."

And that's the conversation. And Peter understands. What he went through with Ben wasn't the same, but Peter knows how impossible it could be to even know how to feel. Much less how to communicate those feelings.

She stares over his shoulder. "I wish we could see the stars here. _Really_ see them, I mean."

Peter turns his head to look into the night sky. The moon was plenty bright behind him, but the lights of the city were extremely restricting to the starlight.

Peter sighs and turns back to Michelle. "At least we've got the moon, right?"

She snorts. "Except now it brings a wolf with it." They laugh together. "So I was thinking, the next time you fight Man-Wolf," she says, and Peter lights up at the use of his nickname. She rolls her eyes. "Maybe try to lead him inside a shed or under a bridge or something? Somewhere out of the moonlight?"

Peter hums. "See if he'll turn back into a human or whatever he is?"

She shrugs. "It's worth a shot. If there's a person in there, it's worth trying to help him before just punching him really hard. Especially now that you've got a strategy to take him down next time."

Peter nods, and his chest warms. He really doesn't know how he did this for the months before Ned and MJ joined the team. Just having someone to help remind him of the simple stuff. Not to use his fists if he could help it. It's nice.

"What?" MJ asks him, and she looks flustered. He realizes he's been staring.

"Nothing. I'm just happy...that you're here. That I'm here. I don't know. I don't mean right now specifically. Just for helping out. Thanks."

She laughs, and tucks her hair behind her ear. Peter tracks the movements, the moonlight shining on the skin of her neck. It's a perfect summer night. Her phone buzzes and shakes him from his stare.

"It's May," she says. "Wants to make sure everything is okay."

"Fuck, I never sent a message!" Peter cries, and dives for the mask of his suit.

"I did," MJ says with a roll of her eyes. "Told her I was patching you up a little." Then she frowns. "She's still worried about you though."

"I should probably go, then," Peter says, and doesn't make to move.

"Yeah."

They sit in silence for a moment before laughing. And Peter finally stands up. "I can get you a shirt," she says, and leans in. She touches near one of her patch-jobs near his right nipple. Peter's stomach flips at her warm fingers. "I think you should be good to wear something over these now."

"Cool. Yeah."

She retreats into her room again, and Peter lets out a long exhale and shakes his head. He twists his torso back and forth, swinging his arms, testing his mobility and watching the stitches carefully. They hold wonderfully.

"Wait, wait," Michelle laughs from the window. Peter frowns at her while she swipes at her phone.

And then a familiar song starts playing from her phone while she climbs back out of the window. Peter looks behind him and laughs.

Dancing in the Moonlight. By King Harvest.

"MJ," Peter whines. "I was _not_ dancing."

"Not well," she laughs, and Peter joins her. Then he reaches for her hand again and pulls her into a twirl. Peter's not a great dancer. He's certainly got the agility and grace for it, but little experience. Still, Michelle laughs again, sets her phone and the shirt down, and she joins in and dances with him. In the moonlight. The lyrics are a little too apt for Peter's taste.

He does feel warm and bright. And she is a fine and natural sight.

He keeps to the edge, and she closer to the building, but she grows in confidence of the shaky floor of the fire escape the more they move. They don't have much of a routine, and they spend half of the time laughing at each other's ridiculous moves, but Peter is absolutely enchanted by her. They twirl each other far too many times, and MJ has to stop him twice with uncontrolled laughter when he gets too enthusiastic with his arms.

She's flushed when the song ends, beautiful and breathing hard. Peter's own breathing is hurried too, but not from the impromptu cardio. She turns to him with a smile. "Took you ten months to finally give me a dance?"

Peter ducks his head. "Figured I didn't need to wait for the next Homecoming," he says.

She reaches back to collect the shirt and hands it to him. He thanks her. She watches his chest and stomach as he carefully puts it on. Probably to check the wounds. She swallows after his head and arms get through the shirt.

"Thanks again," he says. "For tonight."

She nods. "Anytime. I...I can handle this, Peter."

It seems odd for her to say. He hadn't ever doubted it. "I know you can. Thanks."

"Take it easy on the way home, yeah?"

Peter laughs. "I will."

For show, he walks down the steps of the fire escape instead of jumping them. But also, he's in no rush to get home. He's content to walk slowly home, reflecting in the moonlight. And if he lets out the occasional hop or skip that could be construed as dancing? Well, at least MJ can't laugh at him this time. Though he wouldn't mind taking her for another spin.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Did this chapter grow in length because I'm a sucker for pining fluff? Yes. Yes it did. And I refuse to apologize for it, even if it breaks the short-chapter tradition of this series. Hope you enjoyed!


	4. Waning Gibbous

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> There is some underage drinking in this one, in case you don't want to read that.

"Here, just get behind the tree."

"Someone could see, MJ," Peter says, looking around on high alert. Spider-Man can _not_ be seen near Flash's house, or they will not hear the end of it until they all graduate.

"They'll just think we're two people making out or something," she replies with nonchalance. Peter can't feel nonchalant about that statement. "Besides, you should've thought of that before you went back to Central Park." She sets a bag at his feet. "You're lucky you left these at my house last week."

That sounds suggestive, Peter thinks. Even though he was _there_ , and knows it was innocent. Just hanging with Ned and MJ, and had just decided to leave straight from her place to patrol. Still, he tries to fight the blush that she'd been holding onto his clothes for a week. "I had to go back, at least until the moon rose," he says, and waves vaguely at the heavenly orb. "Look, it's basically full."

"No," MJ rolls her eyes. "It was full yesterday, and the _only_ time Man-Wolf has shown up has been on the exact full moon."

"He didn't show up yesterday, though. They could've gotten it wrong," Peter grumbles, and fishes through the bag, pulling out the pants and shirt.

She glowers at him. "Yeah, the thing humans have been able to do for millennia. Watch the moon. And we got it wrong this month."

Peter finally gives in and chuckles. "I'm sorry I made you come here alone."

Michelle looks away. "That's not what this is about. You're just being dumb. Besides, Ned's here."

"Is he playing Beast Slayer?" Peter asks. Michelle's lack of an answer is an answer. And then he actually feels bad when she doesn't meet his eye. "Oh...Michelle. I didn't know this back-to-school party was important to you. I'm sorry. I would've—"

She groans. "It's not a big deal, alright Parker? Sorry I made it one."

Peter frowns. "Look, MJ, I—"

"Just drop it?" she asks him, short. He nods, and she turns away, peering around the tree. On lookout, he supposes.

He drops his suit, having grown just a _little_ braver about changing with her back turned. But he's not so concerned about that. He's mostly just frustrated that he'd misread how important going to the party was. He really wouldn't have asked last minute to just meet him here if he'd known.

He doesn't want Spider-Man to come between him and Michelle.

He pulls on his pants, and MJ turns around when she hears the zipper. She has a contrite look on her face. Peter hopes she doesn't feel bad. _He_ should feel bad. Her eyes fall on his chest, and she reaches out to run her finger over his skin. She's inspected his skin where the wound was before. But he's still not used to the heat of her touch and the butterflies that form in his stomach in its wake.

"Amazing," she says, biting her bottom lip. She drags her thumb right where she'd sewn him up, over unblemished skin. Peter has to put on a face to hide his increased heart rate.

"Thanks," Peter says with swagger and a wink when she looks up.

So she slaps him on the chest even as she fights a smile. "Your healing, dork. No scar."

"Sure, sure," Peter says like he doesn't believe her, and pulls on his shirt.

"You're so dumb." She starts stuffing his suit into the bag.

Peter chuckles and gets his shoes on. "You ready?"

"I've already been here for an hour, Peter." She grabs his arm and tugs, directing him to the house. Peter's not sure if there's any lingering hurt in her voice that he kept her waiting, or if she's just stating that yes, she's ready.

When they enter Flash's home, the man himself is there to greet them with a couple of red solo cups. Peter almost laughs at the cliché of it. "So you finally decided to show up, eh Parker?" He shoves the cups into their hands. Peter hasn't really had alcohol before. Not beyond some sips of wine with May's permission.

He catches MJ's eye, and she shrugs. As long as he sticks with her, he's probably willing to try it. He definitely won't have more than a drink though. If he gets an alert that Man-Wolf is on the prowl, he's got to be ready to go.

Flash seems oblivious to their hesitation, and only grabs them around the shoulders and walks into the living room. There's a dozen or so kids in the opulent room, sitting on the couch, a group laughing in the corner. Peter thinks they're the chess club. He wonders just how different Midtown High parties are from an average high school.

"There's pool and ping-pong in the basement. I think a bunch of the band nerds are out back. Most of our decathlon team is around here somewhere. Food and drinks in the kitchen over there"—he points with the finger around Peter's shoulder, jerking him forward slightly—"if you need refills. Oh, and Ned is in my room for some reason. Who brings their laptop to a party?"

Peter and MJ share a smile, but Flash remains oblivious. "I'm DJ tonight, so if you've got any of your lame requests, come to me, Parker. Enjoy!"

And their incredibly gracious host is gone as suddenly and loudly as he came.

Peter and MJ join in an eye roll before tentatively raising their cups to their mouths, and drinking.

Peter is not one for parties, he decides. It's not that he dislikes people, or even crowds. He just prefers his small group. The way MJ holds herself much of the night, he thinks she might agree. Even thinking back to Liz's party before they were friends, he remembers MJ standing on her own, away from boisterous crowds and loud conversations.

When Ned doesn't join them after a text, Peter goes to fetch him from Flash's room. It would also be nice to drop off the bag with his spider suit in it, so he's not carrying that around all night.

"Hey Peter!" Ned says cheerily. He closes his laptop. "Glad you could finally make it!"

"Were you waiting for me?" Peter frowns.

"Not really. I'm more of a sprinter though," he explains easily, and takes Peter's bag from him. "I need some teammates to make it through a marathon."

Peter chuckles, and watches carefully where Ned stows his computer and Peter's suit in Flash's closet. He's almost hesitant to follow Ned back out of the room. It's more quiet here. And Peter's starting to feel a little...off. Peter's had his elevated senses under control for over a year now, so it worries him.

But MJ's waiting for them, so he takes off after Ned down the stairs. They find her with their decathlon team playing some cards in another room, closer to Flash and the music. They join in for the next round, and Abe goes to refill their drinks. Peter takes some without thinking about it too much.

The company is good, and even though it starts to feel a little loud, and a little bright, Peter can feel a weight lifted off of him. The stress of Man-Wolf fades to the background. The stress of _Spider-Man_ fades too, and with it his lingering concern about MJ's frustration at him earlier. He finds himself taking a few more drinks, and losing a few hands to Betty—who is shockingly competitive.

After he's been properly humbled by his friends, Peter drains his cup again, and he finds he can't remember how many drinks that is. Especially with the music blaring—when had Flash turned that up so loud? But it's not just the music. He's hearing hushed conversation from Abe and Cindy that he doesn't think he should be hearing, and it's not just the strobe light Flash has going that is making the room start to spin.

He wonders if he's a lightweight, if he had more drinks than he'd thought, or if it's all somehow amplified by his enhanced senses. He sticks close to Michelle, and tries not to get distracted by the flashing lights, the booming of the speakers, or people pestering him for his next play. He sits out the next card game.

MJ looks concerned for him. Especially after someone hands them each a beer, which Peter nurses carefully. She takes it from him before he's halfway done, and he doesn't fight her on it. It all feels like too much for him right now.

Eventually MJ pulls him back to the living room, with a wave at Ned to indicate she's got it covered. And by 'it' Peter means him. He's sad he's making her worry, but happy when they've made their way to the now-vacated couch. "Are you okay?" Michelle asks him.

He nods. "It kind of feels like when I first got bit," he tells her, only realizing after the words left his mouth that he might need to be more careful. Sitting down has helped though, a little farther from the music and away from attention. "Just having a hard time focusing. It's getting better."

She looks at him, worried. "Let me get you some water."

He nods his thanks, and she stands to leave.

Less than a few seconds later, her seat is taken again. "Peter, right?"

Peter thinks his name is Lucas. He's a good-looking guy, about to be a Senior, Peter thinks? He remembers him from before he quit robotics club. "Hey, yeah. Lucas?"

Lucas nods with a bright smile. "I didn't get to see much of you last year. After you quit Robotics."

Peter gives him an apologetic look. "Yeah, got really busy."

Lucas widens his bright eyes. "I heard about the internship." He puts his hand on Peter's arm. "Really impressive, man."

Peter smiles. Even in his current state, he can see the interest on Lucas's face. The flirtation of the touch of his hand. Peter's flattered.

Even if he's not interested.

He's sure Lucas's a great guy. But Peter's mind has been on someone else for months, and he doesn't see an end to that any time soon.

His eyes instinctively move to the kitchen, where MJ is standing at the counter. Watching him. She looks away, but Peter sees she's got a cup and a bottle of water. She takes a drink from the cup, and she doesn't look pleased.

"Thanks, Lucas," Peter says distractedly, and moves to stand up. The world is a little less spinny now. He wonders if his body is taking care of the alcohol faster. He doesn't know how it works. He'll have to run tests. "I gotta go, sorry."

He walks toward Michelle, who looks like she wants to run somewhere but has nowhere to run to. "Here," she says, short, and shoves the bottle of water toward him.

"Thanks," he says, frowning at her. He looks at her drink. "I guess I can't hold my alcohol like normal people."

"I guess," she says dismissively. Peter's starting to wonder if he isn't the only one affected. He takes a swig of his water, and then holds it back out for her.

"Do you need some, too?" She scoffs, and walks away. Peter walks after her. "Hey, what's up?"

"It's nothing, Peter."

He follows her up the stairs. He has to clutch the banister for support. He's feeling better, but still not great. "It's something. It has been all night."

She stops at the top of the stairs, and he's a couple steps below her, looking up. "It's a 'me' thing, not a 'you' thing, okay?"

Peter only partially believes her. "But I'm obviously a part of the problem."

She looks around, clear frustration on her face. There aren't other people close enough to hear, but they can be seen from the bottom of the stairs. Peter doesn't know if people are watching, but clearly MJ doesn't want to take that risk.

She turns and walks to Flash's room, and Peter follows after her once more. It'll be good to check on his suit anyways. He takes another swig of water. He's really feeling much better, especially up here where they can only hear the steady pulse of the bass. And where he's with MJ.

He closes the door behind him, and finds Michelle sitting on Flash's bed, head in her hands. "Sure you don't need this?" he asks, holding out the water bottle again, worried.

She looks at it, frustration still on her face, but less so. "Probably," she admits, and he hands it over.

He sits next to her. "I'm sorry," he says again. He's not sure of the whole problem, but he's at least confident about part of it. "For being Spider-Man tonight."

She only shakes her head, eyes squeezed shut. He's unsettled by her silence. He watches her until she turns to him. It takes a while, but when she does, there's a different gleam in her eye than the anger he saw before. She looks at his lips, and Peter's heart quickens.

He's not sure if he's still a little dizzy, or if they're leaning towards each other on purpose. But he _does_ smell the alcohol on her breath, and it makes him stop.

He doesn't want it like this. He's still not sure he wants it at all. And he's _certainly_ not sure of what a more sober MJ would think. He does know that sober MJ wouldn't go from angry to _that_ look on her face so quickly. Compared to just ten minutes ago, he's sure he's the much more sober of the two, and that makes him feel even less comfortable with the situation.

So he turns his head before they can lean in too close. "Did I tell you Mr. Stark approved of the Lunar Panel Spray prototype yesterday?" he asks her. "Then Ms. Potts put it in a case for me."

She sighs to his side, and he chances a look at her. She doesn't look angry or frustrated anymore. Just tired. She takes another drink of water. "That's great, Peter."

Peter doesn't know what to do. There's always been a tension between them. But it's never been so close to being addressed. And the second they address it, things will change.

"I better check that no one found my suit," he says, and stands from the bed.

He opens the closet. The suit is there, untouched. The unsettled feeling he has doesn't go away.

"I wasn't upset you were out being Spider-Man," he hears MJ say behind him. He swivels around, surprised she'd said it so clearly. Not like her denials earlier. Peter believes this one. She's standing at Flash's window, staring outside at the night sky and the near-full moon.

"What?" Peter asks, dumbly.

"I wasn't upset at you earlier because you were trying to protect the city." She looks over her shoulder at him. "I just need you to know that. I'm not so selfish."

Peter walks toward her. "Even if you were mad at me for that, I wouldn't think it was selfish. We made plans. And I bailed last minute."

She turns back to the window and nods, slow. Like she's mulling it around. "Yeah, maybe. Still. I need you to know I've got your back."

"I do," Peter says immediately, almost appalled that she'd ever think otherwise. He stands beside her and stares out the window with her. But he's more focused on her reflection in the pane than the skyline outside. "MJ, what's this about?"

She still doesn't look at him. "I don't know, Peter. We're about to go back to school. And..." When she finally looks over, her eyes have unshed tears. "I'm already close to losing my mom. I guess I'm just afraid of change."

Peter takes her hand in his, his heart breaking. He's reminded that she's at least a little drunk, and maybe wouldn't be telling him this in normal circumstances. And _that_ adds to his heartbreak. "MJ, I'm not going anywhere."

She sniffs, and nods. "I know. I'm just being stupid." She shakes her head when Peter makes to interrupt her. But then squeezes her eyes shut from the movement. She doesn't have his superpowers to recover quickly from the effects of alcohol. Instead, she only looks more dizzy. He grabs her forearm with his other hand to steady her. "Sometimes, I'm just not sure where we..." She sighs and looks back outside. Peter releases her forearm, and lets her turn from him. He waits, but she never finishes her thought.

Peter squeezes her hand again, still not sure exactly what she's saying. But there's at least one thing he knows he can relate to. "I'm scared of change, too," he admits. "Things are pretty good right now—with Spider-Man, my work with Mr. Stark. May and I are on the same page, Ned's amazing. And you." Peter swallows, and MJ looks back at him. "You're so important to me, MJ. I'm scared of that changing, too. And I know from experience how fast things can break. I don't want that either. I promise."

"Thanks Peter." Michelle lets out a watery laugh, and wipes at her eyes. "Remind me not to drink anymore."

"I will if you want me to, but I'm glad you're talking to me," Peter says.

"It's hard for me, you know. Getting close to people."

Peter nods. "I know. That's why it means so much to me."

She leans her head on his shoulder, then. Peter releases her hand to rub her back, wishing he knew more of what was going on in her head. Wishing she felt like she could tell him. But then, he still kept thoughts and feelings from her, didn't he?

"I wish we could see the stars," she mumbles, still looking out the window. It's not the first time she's said as much.

"At least we've got the moon," Peter replies, like he had before. She responds with a non-committal hum.

They don't return to the party for nearly an hour. But Peter's more than okay with that. He's never been one for a party anyways.


	5. Stars

It's taken some creativity, but Peter has led Man-Wolf to the rare bridge in Central Park, Bow Bridge. And now he holds his breath as the creature spots him, crouched under the tight space. Wolf-Man approaches carefully, clearly more wary of Spider-Man's webs than the last time they met two months ago.

Wolf-Man steps into the shadow of the bridge, and the moonlight can no longer reach him. But there's no transformation.

Peter sighs, and backs away from the creature. "It was worth a try, but I think I've got to take him down."

MJ makes him pause before coming up with an attack plan, though. "Do you see the red stone?" she asks. "It looks...like it's still in the light."

Peter looks more closely, and MJ's right. The stone has the same soft, blue gleam in it that he'd previously ascribed to the moon's reflection.

"If that's the cause of the transformation," Peter says while he shoots a pair of warning webs at Wolf-Man to slow his approach. "Then maybe it's...I don't know. Charged or something?"

He fires multiple web bombs and tries to lock the wolf down, then. "Maybe if I can keep him here long enough, it will lose the charge?"

But Man-Wolf is strong and fast, with claws that cut through his webs with ease. And it doesn't take long for Peter to realize he won't be able to keep him tied up under the bridge for any significant time.

"What if you super-charge it instead?" MJ asks.

Peter leaps up onto the bridge, buying himself some time as Wolf-Man breaks free and continues his pursuit. "What do you mean?"

"Well, he clearly isn't Wolf-Man in the sunlight," MJ says. "So maybe it's a very specific amount of energy that activates the stone and transformation?"

Peter looks up at the moon. The perfect amount of energy, sunlight reflected off of a full moon. "You're saying..."

"Peter, your Lunar Panel Spray!"

If her hypothesis is right, this would work. Then again, "This is all conjecture," he warns, but not in a tone that says he won't entertain the idea. "It could make him even stronger or something."

"Yeah," MJ concedes. "Or it could disable him in a way that doesn't kill him or ruin his life forever."

Wolf-Man has escaped his prison under the bridge completely and rounded his way to the entrance. He growls at Peter. Big and imposing, Peter is already afraid Man-Wolf has gotten too wary to be taken down as easily as last time. If he was even _more_ powerful?

But MJ is right. If there really was a person in there—Peter needs to try.

"Alright," Peter decides. "Contact May, tell her to grab the prototype from my desk. It's in a display case. Ned has been playing with my web fluid canisters. Tell him the plan, and see if he can figure something out on the drive here."

"Sounds good," MJ says. "What will you do?"

"Well, you guys probably need about thirty minutes to get here." Peter rushes the snarling Wolf-Man. He fires a pair of webs at him, and then leaps over him while he's claw at the webs. He lands on the other side, and runs. "I'll keep this guy distracted."

Peter was never meant to be a marathon runner, and going up against a creature as fast and powerful as Wolf-Man reveals this particular weakness. But through careful use of lamp posts, trees, and webbing, Peter is able to stay at a relatively safe distance while successfully keeping Wolf-Man focused on him and away from other people. His legs and his lungs and his arms are burning, he's got a sizeable three-clawed slash across his thigh, and he's out of web fluid by the time MJ alerts him that they're close, but he's done it.

"Okay, pull up on 5th and—" Peter huffs and glances up to check exactly where he is. "—73rd."

He deflects a blow from Wolf-Man with leaden arms, and gets a quick jab in at his massive chest. The creature recoils briefly, allowing Peter to run toward the intersection.

"We'll just pull into the park," MJ says, and he remembers they've been watching on his suit's feed this whole time. "Terrace Drive."

"MJ, no, it's too—"

"We'll be fine, Peter," she assures him.

He groans, and fends off another attack. "MJ, please."

"We can handle it, Peter!" she says.

"It's not about you!" Peter shouts out. " _I_ can't handle it, okay? So think about my health instead!"

She's quiet, and Peter feels bad for yelling, but he's exhausted. And he needs them to be safe. "We'll leave the canisters at the intersection, and drive to a safe distance," she says at last.

"Thank you."

Less than a minute later, MJ gives him instructions about where exactly they left the chemical compound. He takes another hard hit from Wolf-Man, but he's able to separate enough from him to grab the small canisters and then get back before Wolf-Man takes off in another direction.

"Okay, let's see here," Peter hums to himself, and by extension Ned, MJ, and May, likely listening and watching the scene play out. Wolf-Man runs at him. He's so fast.

Peter takes aim, presses his web-shooter, and holds his breath.

And a little puff of vapor comes out of the shooters, like a can of spray paint at the end of its life.

"Shit," he says, and shakes his head. Of course it wouldn't come out like his webs. The chemical makeup was all wrong. If he'd been thinking clearly, he'd have known, but his whole body hurts, and his head isn't working right.

He digs deep in order to dodge Wolf-Man's leaping attack, and runs away, thinking. He should've asked the others to bring some spare webbing so that he could fall back on his previous plan of webbing Wolf-Man's face and then getting a couple of devastating blows in while he was incapacitated.

But the only idea he has now...is to be at the receiving end of a devastating blow.

He turns to face Wolf-Man one last time. The creature has gotten more confident since Peter stopped using webs a few minutes earlier. He growls, low and long, and then charges. As he nears, Peter jumps in the air, low enough to be a target, high enough that Wolf-Man has to leave his hind paws in order to reach him.

Wolf-Man launches into the air, paws outstretched, and tackles him mid-air. He lands and pins Peter to the ground. The force of both impacts leaves Peter without breath. Wolf-Man raises a paw, and there, exposed and right in front of Peter, is the stone.

He lifts his hand while fighting for a breath, and activates the final canister. The spray covers the red stone, and the effect is immediate.

The Wolf-Man stumbles backwards. The pale blue glow emanating from the stone deepens, turning a harsh green against the red stone. Then as it turns yellow, the Wolf-Man cries out at the moon. It's a terrible sound, half-howl, half-human scream.

His body starts to contort, and Peter crawls to his feet, taking deep breaths and readying for a fight against a stronger Wolf-Man. He doesn't know where he'll be able to find the strength, but he just knows he has to.

But Wolf-Man crumbles to the ground, and the wolfish features start receding, becoming more and more human by the second. The red stone stops glowing, and it dislodges from the chest as the fur recedes and human pectorals become visible. The stone hangs around the man's neck, on a vaguely familiar necklace.

The clothes are tattered and stretched, and hang loosely on the figure as he groans and the last of the fur disappears. He turns his head.

"John Jameson?" Peter breathes out. "The astronaut?"

"Oh...fuck," the man says and rolls to his back. His shuts his eyes and brings his hand to his forehead. Then his eyes shoot open and he looks at Peter. "Spidey—are you, did I hurt you?"

Yes. "I'll be okay," Peter says, and takes tentative steps forward. He helps Jameson sit up. "Are _you_ okay?"

Jameson looks confused for a moment. Then he looks down at the stone around his neck. He reaches up and pulls is from his neck, the necklace snapping at the back. He tilts his head, curious. "It's not...it's not calling me anymore."

"Calling you?" Peter asks. "What is it?"

"I found it on the moon," Jameson explains. "And I never...I couldn't tell anyone. I just kept it for myself. And then at the full moon..."

"Yeah," Peter shakes his head, amazed. "When you say you _couldn't_ , has this thing been possessing you this whole time?" Some sort of alien symbiote perhaps?

Jameson shudders, drops the stone to the ground, and buries his head in his hands. "No. More like an addiction. Like I couldn't stop thinking about it. And that first full moon—the _tranquility_ of living inside the monster, you wouldn't believe it."

"Tranquility?" Peter asks. How does that make any sense?

"Like I could let go of every stress and concern and pain, and just _be_ for several hours. Perfectly content." His face has a faraway look on it, like even now, without the power of the stone, he longs for it. He clears his throat and shakes his head. "But I knew how dangerous it was, so I hid the stone away from me last month. I flew to Texas for the weekend, and it was miserable. Knowing what I was missing back here. I even got on a red-eye, and just missed the transformation."

Peter sits next to him. Jameson is shivering. It is a little chilly and his clothes are in tatters, but Peter has a feeling the shivers have nothing to do with the temperature. Jameson sobs into his hands. "And I couldn't resist this month, so desperate for that feeling again. I could've _killed_ people."

"But you didn't," Peter tells him, and puts a hand on his shoulder. "Is the stone still...calling to you now?"

He shakes his head. "No...it's silent. Even at the new moons, it was never this silent. What did you do to it?"

Peter is relieved that Jameson's voice isn't accusatory. "Some Stark tech," Peter waves away. "The important thing is that it's over. Though I do think I'll want to study the stone. Make sure it's completely safe."

Jameson looks like he wants to push back momentarily before he gives in and nods. "Thank you, Spider-Man. For saving everyone here. _And_ me, obviously."

Peter smiles, thinking of MJ. "I'll pass on the thanks to those who held out hope for you. I was ready to take you down." He grabs the stone and then stands up. "You look a little shaky though. Can I help you get home?"

Jameson nods, and they walk together, Peter close in case he needs some support. But Jameson seems to grow steadier by the second. By the time they reach the street, he turns to Peter. "I'm just two blocks that way," he motions over his shoulder. No wonder he had always shown up at Central Park. "And I'll look strange enough wearing these clothes without Spider-Man by my side."

Peter nods. "Sure thing. You let me know if you feel any after-effects. I'll be looking into the stone personally."

"Thanks Spidey. For everything."

"Go get some sleep, Jameson. We'll need you firing on all cylinders for your next lunar mission."

The man chuckles and nods, and turns to leave.

May pulls up just a couple minutes later, and Peter climbs in the back. Ned is in front, and MJ is sitting by the window opposite Peter. They all turn to him with looks of concern, but he waves them off.

"Peter," May says, unimpressed and maternal. "Are you okay?"

"'m fine," he mumbles. "Just a little tired."

MJ leans across the seat and inspects a few of the gashes across his leg and stomach. "They're not as bad as last time at least," she says and worries her bottom lip. Her eyebrows are bunched in concern. She's adorable. Peter feels himself smile at her. She catches his smile, and tucks her hair behind her ear. "What?"

He just shakes his head. "Thanks everyone," he says, and observes May's proud smile and Ned's excitable energy. And MJ. Wonderful, brilliant, beautiful MJ. He's so utterly content. And as May puts the car into gear, Peter realizes he can relate to Jameson. This feeling right here, right now, he never wants to let go of.

But should he? He'd never considered it a negative thing, this contentedness. It was something to hold on to, and preserve at all costs, right?

"Peter, I can't believe that was Jameson!" Ned says from the front seat, turning around the best he can to look at him. "That rock is from the moon! How crazy is that!"

Peter chuckles. He hasn't really let himself think about it. He inspects the stone out in front of him. Its glow is completely gone, but the red does seem otherworldly still. This will likely be the closest he ever gets to going into space. It's a surreal feeling, holding a celestial object. He holds it out for Ned and MJ to look at. May smiles at him in the rearview mirror as she turns up the street.

Ned continues jabbering, about all the possibilities—aliens, Buzz Aldrin conspiracies, ancient wolf societies that got to the moon long before humans did. Peter smiles and lets his best friend's voice calm him.

When he looks over at Michelle, she's staring out the window. It's late. They're all exhausted. But still, he's a little confused that she isn't more engaged. Then he remembers how short he was with her, and a wave of guilt passes over him.

"Sorry," he mumbles. "About yelling over the phone."

She turns her head sharply to him. Ned has stopped talking, and it's obvious the other two people in the car are listening. MJ shakes her head. "It's fine. You were under a lot of stress."

He nods, glad she understands. "Still. I don't like being short with you. I'm sorry."

She picks at her fingernails in her lap, something Peter hasn't seen her do in a while. She takes in a short breath, an indicator she's about to speak, only for her to swallow it. She does this three more times. "I'm sorry, too," she says at last. Peter isn't sure what she needs to apologize for, but he stays quiet. "I...sometimes I want to prove so badly I can be a part of this world, I forget I _am_ a part of it. And my actions have consequences. When you said that _you_ couldn't handle it, what did you mean Peter?"

Peter just shakes his head at her. How did she still feel like there was something she had to prove? _Why_? "Michelle," he whispers, and reaches out to catch her hand in his. "There's nothing for you to prove, okay? That man gets to live a normal life now because of _you_. Who knows what would've happened if I'd just done it my way? I would have done everything not to seriously injure him, but who knows what can happen in the heat of battle. And if I'd taken that stone from him forcibly, he might live the rest of his life seeking it, craving it. _You_ saved him. You belong here, and I need you."

"Just not too close to the danger," she mutters, and stares at their entwined hands on the seat between them.

"Not if I can help it!" Peter exclaims. "All that does is distract me and put you in unnecessary harm."

MJ nods, and finally looks up to him. "Okay," she says. "I can accept that. And I will do a much better job of assessing situations like this in the future. But Peter," she squeezes his hand and looks at him with piercing eyes. "There will come a time when I have to go into danger in order for you to be successful, or even to save you. And when that time comes, I need _you_ to trust _me_."

Peter aches at the thought, and for the first time ever, wishes that Michelle had never discovered the truth. Perhaps not enough to undo it, if somehow given the option. But enough that he feels sick to his stomach. But he thinks he understands. "As long as you're not seeking it out unnecessarily, I can accept that."

May clears her throat from the front seat. "That goes for me, too, Peter. I'm so proud of you and what you're doing. But I'm still your aunt and guardian, and I will do _anything_ to protect you."

"Me too, obviously," Ned says. "I'm your guy in the chair, but I might not always be able to be that guy from a chair."

The ache grows, but it's accompanied by something else. His eyes sting with emotion, and his heart thuds happily in his chest, thinking of the support and love they're showing him.

To know that they aren't just the family he can come home to after a hard day at work is unsettling. It had been so nice, living in that illusion. But this? The squeeze of MJ's hand in his, the supportive look from May in the mirror, Ned turning around to give him a thumbs up. It's better.

And maybe he has to let go of the perfect little world they'd made, where Peter could get banged up, and MJ could patch him up. Where May would listen to him detail his patrol, and maybe give him a warning look but ultimately kiss him on the cheek in support. Where Ned could send him police alerts or research from the safety of his bedroom. Maybe they had to be more than that, sometimes. And Peter has to be okay with that.

He knows he'll miss it. Like Jameson missed his stone and that pure tranquility that came with his transformation. But Peter can't be content, when there's so much more.

"Thanks," he whispers to his family in this car.

May focuses completely on the road, Ned starts up his babbling again, and MJ turns to look out the window at the full moon. He knows she wishes she could see the stars. Perhaps she's been right to wish for more than just the moon all along.

He can't be content anymore. Not with where things are with them, as wonderful as it is. Not when there can be _more_. The lingering glances, the fingertips dancing on skin, the tension and heat that's been between them for months. He needs to explore it, discover it. He almost opens his mouth to tell her, right here and right now. Instead, he just squeezes her hand again, and smiles when she looks at him. She smiles back.

The setting isn't right. He's bloody and damaged, they're both exhausted, and Ned and May are listening in.

An idea forms in his head. A plan. He'll sit with her on the bus next week, when they go to The Museum of Modern Art for their field trip. He'll hold her hand again. And she wants to see the stars, so Peter will lead her to Van Gogh's _The Starry Night_. And he'll tell her how he feels. So utterly discontent without her.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I feel the need to mention that Infinity War finds Peter on a field trip to the museum mentioned in this fic. I also feel the need to apologize to you.
> 
> But don't worry!! There will be a Part 3 (and 4)! I've already started writing it.
> 
> Despite the nasty business of Parker Luck foiling his plans with MJ once more, I hope you enjoyed this continued ripple featuring pining, FOSs, and wolf-people! Keep your eye out for Part 3 in the next few weeks.

**Author's Note:**

> Hope you're liking it! Leave a comment if you will!


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